Criticism of the Commission’s proposal, which offers increased imports of liquefied gas and $ 50 billion agricultural products from the US to prevent additional duties. With a proposal that hopes that “cannot be rejected” by Trump, but does not seem to excite all Member States. duties. Specifically, it offers the rise in imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and US agricultural products of 50 billion euros.

With this move, the Commission seeks to balance, according to its calculations, its commercial balance with the United States and thus to convince the US president who has announced additional tariffs on EU imported products. This is at least the idea, as the European Commissioner from Slovakia made it in an interview with the Financial Times.

The US president had announced in early April the intention to impose duties of about 10% for almost all countries on the globe and 20% for EU Member States. In response, the EU designed $ 21 billion. The implementation of the measure was then postponed for 90 days and the aim is to have a US-EU trade agreement by mid-July. Sefcovic said that for the EU, neither the abolition of 20% and the ‘return’ to 10% would be a satisfactory result. He added, however, that significant steps have been made to have been in contact with Washington so far.

A problematic proposal

The proposal, however, is considered by its nature problematic. It is not only that it remains unpredictable how Trump himself will evaluate it. It remains open whether they will agree on a LNG imports of all Member States, as well as the European Parliament, as this would mean further increasing the use of fossil fuels, contrary to the Union’s stated objectives.

Normally, in the context of the so-called “energy transition”, the share of the use of natural gas for the energy needs of the Member States should also be reduced. LNG is considered to have a significant contribution to the increase in pollutants, which create the greenhouse effect.

This is also one reason that many countries do not seem excited by the Sefcovic initiative, and there are groans for the fact that its ascension took place without consultation with the Member States. In addition, many say that the increase in LNG imports from the US will again intensify the dependence on an important energy supplier, as has been the case with Russia’s dependence in the past. The course, however, has become a lesson and has officially led to a policy of differentiation and polymerization of energy sources for the Union. At about half of the liquefied gas imports already come from the US.

Canada

It is also noted that in the context of the decision to increase the role of “green hydrogen”, for example, there could be closer cooperation with Canada, which has made significant steps in this direction and has stated the intention to strengthen its economic and commercial relations with the EU.

Indeed, some countries, such as Germany in 2024, have signed agreements with Canada on financial support plans for “pure” hydrogen production units, which at least in this phase have high costs and will need the support of public bodies and while the pressure on them grows because of the policy.

Sources: BMWK, Tagesschau, Taz, NTV, ND